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Outdoor briefs for the week of July 3

6:34 p.m. MDT July 2, 2014

Robert Williams took this photo of a nesting pair of bald eagles near Bitterroot Lake. If you have a favorite outdoors photo you would like to share, please email it to triboutdoors@greatfallstribune.com. Include your name, hometown, phone number and a sentence or two about where the photo was taken and a few details.(Photo: Robert Williams photo)

Upper Missouri Breaks Audubon will hold a field trip to Arod Lake on Saturday.

Arod Lake is 20 acres and is located east of Bynum. It is a major pelican “nursery” as well as a nursery for gulls, water birds, shorebirds, possibly cranes and burrowing owls. Dave Shea will be the leader.

The group will depart Great Falls at 7:30 a.m. after meeting below the Big Bear sign on the Northwest Bypass. They will then head to Choteau where they will regroup at 8:30 a.m. in the visitor center/museum parking lot.

Please register by contacting Beth Hill at grizhill@gmail.com or 452-4931.

Skeet club will close to host State Trap Shoot next week

The Great Falls Trap and Skeet Club’s rifle range will be closed from Wednesday until July 13, while it hosts the Montana State Trap Shoot.

Summer hours after July 13 are Wednesdays from 1 to 7 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For more information, call Jim Burman at 468-2751.

Today is the deadline to purchase SuperTag chances

Eight lucky SuperTag hunters will win the chance to hunt a moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goat, elk, deer, antelope, mountain lion and bison in any legal district open for that species next fall.

Each chance at a SuperTag is $5. The deadline to purchase chances for SuperTag hunts is today.

SuperTags are available at all FWP offices, license providers or online at fwp.mt.gov.

FWP reopens the Milltown section of Blackfoot River

On July 1, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks opened the Blackfoot River from the Weigh Station Fishing Access Site above Bonner through the confluence with the Clark Fork River for the first time since the removal of Milltown Dam.

Boaters who travel down the Blackfoot through the confluence with the Clark Fork will cover territory that hasn’t been available for more than a century while Milltown Dam was in place.

While the Blackfoot River will reopen, the Milltown Superfund restoration work area, on the right bank downstream from the I-90 bridges, remains closed to the public. That means that the next public river access point below the Blackfoot’s Weigh Station site is Sha-Ron Fishing Access Site, three miles downstream from the confluence on the Clark Fork River.

Campground at Upper Toston Dam reopens after repairs

The Bureau of Land Management’s Upper Toston Dam Campground has reopened after being closed temporarily while the State of Montana’s Department of Natural Resources and Conservation completed repairs at Toston Dam.

The boat ramp at the Upper Campground has not yet been installed for the season because river flows remain elevated. In addition, public passage over the Toston Dam remains restricted while the last construction items are being completed.

In the work that began in February, the DNRC replaced seven rubber gates on the dam’s spillway.

The BLM’s Toston Dam recreation site is located about 13 miles south of Townsend.

For more information, call 406-533-7600.

Seeking comment on fish passage barrier proposal

Public comments are encouraged on a recently completed environmental assessment for a proposed fish passage barrier downstream of Akokala Lake in the North Fork District of Glacier National Park.

Comments are due by Monday. The Akokala Creek Fish Passage Barrier Environmental Assessment is available at parkplanning.nps.gov/AkokalaFishBarrier.

Akokala Lake is one of the last bull trout supporting lakes on the west side of the park and is at risk of invasion by non-native lake trout. The drainage is also susceptible to invasion by rainbow trout and possibly brook trout.

Wild turkey and sandhill crane applications available

Permit application for hunters planning to pursue wild turkeys or sandhill cranes in parts of Montana this fall are now available from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission will consider final fall turkey and sandhill crane permit quotas at its July 10 meeting in Missoula.

All turkey and sandhill crane permit applicants pay a $5 nonrefundable application fee. Applications must be submitted by 11:30 p.m. on July 31.

Online applications are available at fwp.mt.gov.

Mountain lion license applications are available

Applications for a special limited-entry mountain lion license drawing are now available from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

Mountain lion hunters can either choose to apply for a special license that is valid only in certain hunting districts available through the drawing — or they may purchase a general mountain lion license by Aug. 31. Hunters can’t do both.

Mountain lion hunting in most northwestern and western hunting districts in FWP Regions 1 and 2 is only by special mountain lion licenses awarded via the drawing.

Mountain lion hunters can apply for a special license at fwp.mt.gov. Online applications must be submitted by 11:30 p.m. on Aug. 14.

FWP seeking comment on adjusted fish import rules

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is seeking comment on amendments to rules that outline how various fish can be imported to Montana.

The rule amendments describe and classify several fish-disease pathogens officials want to keep at bay, certified inspection procedures and the need for import permits.

A public hearing on the rule amendments is scheduled for Wednesday in Helena at FWP Headquarters, 1420 E. 6th Ave. The hearing will begin at 6 p.m.

For more information or to comment on the rule online, visit fwp.mt.gov. Comments are due by July 18. Comments also can be emailed to fwpfsh@mt.gov; or mailed to: Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, Fisheries Division, P.O. Box 200701, Helena, MT 59620-0701.

Commission open house in Missoula is Wednesday

Montana Fish and Wildlife Commissioners will hold an open house in Missoula on Wednesday, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks office, 3201 Spurgin Road in Missoula, followed by the commission’s regular monthly meeting on July 10.

The open house is an opportunity to visit with Fish and Wildlife Commissioners and other FWP staff. The public is invited to stop by any time between 6:30 and 9 p.m.

The commission’s regular meeting will begin at 8:30 a.m. on July 10, also at FWP’s Region 2 headquarters where they will make final decisions on:

• A temporary waiver of fishing bag limits for trout on Camas Lake and Elkhorn Creek near Hamilton;

• A work plan for nongame conservation funded by income tax check-off contributions;

• Two House Bill 454 hunting access agreements.

FWP also will seek the commissioners’ endorsement to proceed with the following projects: a wild turkey augmentation in portions of the Missouri River drainage in Choteau and Teton counties; a forestry project at the Threemile Wildlife Management Area near Florence; an addition to the Logan Fishing Access Site near Logan on the Gallatin River; and public land access projects near Hamilton, Terry and Wolsey.

The full agenda and additional information is available at fwp.mt.gov.

Two northern pike found in Lake Mary Ronan recently

Two northern pike were caught in Lake Mary Ronan on June 26.

These were the first pike to be reported from Lake Mary Ronan, and it is assumed that these fish originated from an illegal fish introduction.

Illegal fish introductions, also known as “bucket biology,” have caused problems in hundreds of waters across the state, costing hundreds of thousands of dollars. In most cases, the illegal introduction can’t be undone, often leading to a lost fishing opportunity. In this case, northern pike are highly predacious and could impact the valuable kokanee salmon and trout fishery in Lake Mary Ronan.

Anyone with information on who introduced pike into Lake Mary Ronan should call 800-TIP MONT. Callers do not need to identify themselves and may be eligible for a cash reward. Anglers are encouraged to keep any pike caught and report additional sightings of pike to FWP at 406-752-5501.

Wardens ask for information on whitetail deer poaching

On June 29, a whitetail deer was shot on Smith Lake Road near Kila. The suspect vehicle is a white 1980s model small pickup truck similar to a Chevy S10.

Anyone with information is urged to call 800-TIPMONT.

Wilderness Book Club gets started in Helena

The Helena National Forest will kick off its Wilderness Book Club today.

The first book to be discussed will be “Hiking Montana” by Bill Schneider. Schneider will be on-hand to lead the discussion. The book club will be at the Montana Wilderness Association’s Helena office in the Bluestone Mansion, 80 S. Warren, from 7-9 p.m.

The group will meet again Aug. 6 at the Lewis and Clark Library to discuss “A Great Day to Fight Fire” by Mark Matthews. Guest speakers include a retired smokejumper. On Sept. 3, the book discussion will focus on “English Creek” by Ivan Doig.

Elk brucellosis working group to hold annual review meeting

The working group that charged with developing elk management options in areas where the transmission of brucellosis between elk and livestock is a concern will meet in Bozeman Tuesday to review the results of last winter’s activities.

The working group has led an effort to examine effective elk management options and risk prevention efforts in several southwestern Montana hunting districts.

The meeting is set to begin at 8:30 a.m. at the Montana Fish,Wildlife and Parks’ office in Bozeman at 1400 S. 19th St. The meeting is open to the public and includes time for public comment. For more information visit fwp.mt.gov.

Grizzly bear study team research begins in Yellowstone

Biologists with the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team and Yellowstone National Park will be conducting scientific grizzly bear and black bear research operations in Yellowstone National Park from June 24 through Oct. 31, as part of the ongoing monitoring of the activities and population of grizzly bears within the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

Team members will bait and trap bears at several remote sites within Yellowstone National Park. Once trapped, the bears are anesthetized to allow wildlife biologists to radio-collar and collect scientific samples for study.

For more information regarding grizzly bear research efforts call 406-994-6675.

Big Sky Committee for the Winter Games appoints two to board of directors

The Big Sky Committee for the Winter Games, the group working to developing a bid to host the 2026 Winter Olympics in the State of Montana, has appointed of Jeff Ruffolo and Michael Miller to the organization’s board of directors.

Ruffolo is one of the world’s leading Olympic and sports marketing experts, having served in China as senior expert, media and communications for the 2008 Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad and executive adviser for the 2010 16th Asian Games Organizing Committee. He is a three-time Summer Olympic Sportscaster for Westwood One.

Miller has been an executive within the sports industry for more than 20 years. He is currently president and CEO of Big Sky Enterprises, a full-service sports and lifestyle marketing, agency.

The Big Sky Committee for the Winter Games is a privately funded. For more information, visit bozemanwintergames.org.

Know the ‘no-wake’ rules

If you recreate on the water, it is your responsibility to know and understand the “no-wake” rules in effect on Montana waters.

No-wake zones are in effect on all lakes and reservoirs in the state west of the Continental Divide in the Western Fishing District. Also, all commercial marinas have no-wake zones near their facilities.

All watercraft operating on public lakes and reservoirs under 35 acres in the Western Fishing District are limited to traveling at no-wake speed. A list of these waters is available on the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks website at fwp.mt.gov.

On waters greater than 35 surface acres west of the Continental Divide, watercraft must travel at no-wake speed from the shoreline to 200 feet from the shoreline. Exceptions are:

Boating accidents must be reported

Any boating accident that results in more than $100 in damage must be reported to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. All accidents that result in the death or disappearance of someone, and injuries that require medical treatment, also must be reported.

In Montana, the most common types of boating accidents are collisions with another vessel, capsizing, collision with fixed or floating objects and falling overboard.

There have been 31 boating fatalities in Montana in the past four years.

FWP offers boating safety course

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks reminds boat operators to take a boating safety course. FWP’s boat education program includes a home-study course or online education course for motorboat and personal watercraft operators.

Motorboat operator’s age 13 and 14 are required to complete a boating course before operating a vessel with no adult on board. Persons 13 years of age or older who successfully complete the course will receive a motorboat operator’s certificate.

Information about Montana’s boating courses is available on the FWP website at fwp.mt.gov. To obtain the motorboat home-study course packet, contact the nearest regional FWP office, or call FWP at 406-444-2535.

Surplus nonresident elk and deer hunting licenses on sale

There’s no wait for nonresidents still hoping to purchase a license to hunt deer and elk in Montana this fall.

A number of first-come first-served surplus licenses, good for antlered deer and elk in most hunting districts, can be purchased online or over-the-counter at any Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks office.

Nonresident surplus hunting licenses available include: Montana’s big game combination license for $971, the elk combination license for $821, and the deer combo for $575. For more information visit fwp.mt.gov.

Vandals can lose hunting, fishing licenses

Vandals need to think twice before committing a crime on a public site managed by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

Anyone convicted of vandalism on FWP managed sites, including fishing access sites and wildlife management areas, may lose their hunting, fishing and trapping privileges for two years. The vandalism law also carries a fine of up to $1,000 and six months in jail. FWP officials said that criminal trespass on FWP properties may also result in the loss of hunting, fishing and trapping privileges.

Report crimes in Montana’s fishing access sites, WMAs or other FWP sites by calling 800-TIP-MONT (800-847-6668). TIP-MONT callers can remain anonymous and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000 upon conviction of those responsible for the crimes. TIP-MONT also takes calls reporting vandalism on public lands managed by other agencies.